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Jy dlz No. 625,I82. Patented May I6, |899. W. R. MASON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 9, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

i 1 Za f' I?? v UNITEDv STATES PAtrEiwr OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. MASON, OF HILLSBOROUGH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS `TO S. M. CARLTON, SCOTT WALKER, D. E. MORRIS, A. M. WALKER, E. S. CRUMLEY, AND| J. -B.'

LOFTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part o'f Iietters Patent No. 625,182, dated May 16, 1899. Application filed May 9, 1898. Serial No. 680,170. (No model.)

To all whom, t may 0072/0671777:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hillsborough, in the county of Hill and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and particularly to that class of rotary steamro engines wherein two rotary pistons are arranged in a cylinder common to both of lthem and are each provided with a plurality of A buckets formed in their peripheries and the steam is capable of being directed against the r 5 periphery of either piston, the buckets being so arranged on the two pistons that the impact of the steam operates to drive the pistons in opposite directions, whereby the engine may be reversed. I

2o My invention has for its object to provide an engine of the, type described which will com bine simplicity and durability of construction with efficiency in operation and in which the wear occasioned by friction and the escape of steam is reduced to a minimum.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction, combina` tion, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, wherein- Figure l is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken on the line 2 2 of said figure. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken at a right angle to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the cylinder, piston, and packing. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the 'valve detached, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the packing-segments removed from the engine. Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the cylinder of the engine,whicl1 is inclosed at its ends between annular heads 2, that are bolted tothe ends of the cylinder and on their inner circumference slightly overlap and embrace the ends of the piston, as most clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 4 of the drawings. The cylinder'hcads 2 in turn are in- 5o closed between and bolted -to brackets A3, which at their lower portions are suitably shaped to form bases 4, which are capable of resting on and being attached to the bed of the engine.

The cylinder 1 is preferably formed of two annular sections 5 5, each of which is formed of two or more segments, and the opposite edges of each of said annular sections are rabbeted internally, as at 6, (most clearly shown 6o in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings,) for the purpose hereinafter explained. The piston 7 is arranged concentrically within the cylinder between the cylinder-heads and is xed on the engine-shaft 8, which is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 9, lcarried by crossarms 10, attached to the bracket 3. The piston is preferably cast in one piece, either solid, as shown, or in the shape of a wheel, and has formed centrally on its periphery an 7o annular flange 411, that fits and is adapted to rotate in thegroove formed by the inner adjacent rabbeted edges 6 of the sections 5 of the cylinder. Similar iianges 12 are formed on the outer peripheral edges of the piston and are adapted to rotate in the rabbets in the outer edges of the said sections. The flanges 12 project laterally beyond the opposite end faces of the piston, forming shoulders 13, behind or within which fit inwardly-pro- 8o jecting annular iianges 14, formed on the inner circumferential edges of the cylinderheads 2. The central ange 11 practically divides the piston into two piston-heads 15 and 16, in the cylindrical peripheries of which are formed a plurality of recesses 17, forming buckets for the reception of the steam. Each of said recesses terminates at its forward end in an abrupt wall or abutment 18 and gradually tapers rearwardly luntil its bottom 19 9o makes contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder.

Formed transversely in the periphery of each of the piston-heads land 16 and at a suitable point in the rear portion of each of the recesses or buckets 1 7 is a radial groove than at their rear ends.

20, and circumferential grooves 21 are formed in the opposite sides of each of the pistonheads and between the latter and the flanges 1l and 12. Loosely fitted in said grooves are the packings, consisting of a plurality of segments having radial inwardlyprojecting flanges 22, that are adapted to be fitted in the circumferential grooves 21, said radial flanges being wider or deeper at their forward ends Each of the said radial flanges 22 is formed with a circumferential fiange 23, extending inward at a right angle to t-he flange 22, the flanges 23 near their opposite ends being united by transverse bars or strips 24 and 25, which lie in the same plane as the flanges 23. Radial flanges 26 and 27 extend transversely between the side flanges 22 beneath the strips or bars 24 and 25, the flange 27 of each packing-segment being loosely fitted in one of the transverse grooves 20, the arrangement being such that the segment may have alimited rocking movement about the flange 27 as a fulcrum. The forward transverse flange 26 of each of the packing-segments is adapted to lie against the abutment 1S of its bucket when the packing-segments are forced in to their farthest limit of movement, and the buckets are thus inclosed on their respective four sides by the flanges 22, 26, and 27. As shown most clearly in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the buckets on one of the 'piston-heads are arranged in a reverse direction to those on the other pistonhead, whereby the engine may be reversed, as will be hereinafter described. In the interior wall of each of the sections 5 of the cylinder are formed a plurality of pockets or chambers 28, each having an inclined wall 29 on the side approached by the abutments 18 of the piston-head and an abrupt abutment 30 on its opposite side.

Arranged on the cylinder 1 is acylindrical steam-chest 31, which communicates at one end with the interior of one of the cylindersections 5 by means of a duct 32 and at its other end with the other cylinder-section by means of the duct 33, said ducts leading from the opposite sides of the steam chests, as shown, and entering their respective cylinder-sections in opposite directions. Formed in the steam-chest opposite to the ducts 32 and 33 and in a plane intermediate said ducts is a steam-inlet 34, and rotatably arranged in said steam-chest is a' cylindrical Valve 35, provided with ports 36 and 37, adapted to alternately register with the ducts 32 and 33, and is also providedlwith a large port 38, adapted to register with the steam-inlet 34. The valve 35 is provided at one end with a spindle 39, which projects through the steamchest and is provided with a hand-lever 40, by means of which the valve may be turned to either of its adjusted positions.

Each of the cylinder-sections 5 is provided with an exhaust-port 41, located at a point in rear of the last pocket or chamber, which forms an escape for the steam after it has eX- rection of the arrow shown in Fig. 1.

hausted its effective force. If the engine is run by water, the exhaust-ports should be arranged at the bottom of the cylinder, as shown at 42, Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: Let it be assumed that the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the steamduct 32 beingl open and the duct 33 closed. Then the steam will be admitted to only one of the cylinder-sections 5-that in which the piston-headl l5 rotates. The parts being in the position shown, steam enters the valve 35 through the port 38 and passes, by lneans of the port 36 and duct 32, to the cylinder, where it impinges against the abutment 18 of one of the buckets and rotates the piston in the di- When the portion 19 of the bucket which is in contact with the interior circumference of the cylinder passes the duct 32, the steam is cut off from the bucket. At the moment one bucket cuts off the steam the succeeding bucket takes steam, whereby the whole series of buckets are constantly operating in unison throughout the entire rotation of the piston to perform effective work.

1t will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that if the valve 35 be partially ,rotated, so as to cause the port 37 to register with the duct 33, thesteam will be cnt off from the cylinder-section in which the piston-head 15 works and will be admitted to the cylinder-section inclosing the piston-head 16, and the buckets on the last-named piston-head being arranged reversely to the buckets of the piston-head l5 the piston will be rotated in a direction the reverse to that before described. The port 3S of the valve 35 is of a sufficient size to maintain communication with the steam-inlet 34 when either of the ports 36 or 37 is in communication with its'respective ducts 32 33, and by turning the valve so that the ducts 36 and 37 will lie between the ducts 32 and 33 the port 38 will still communicate with the steam-inlet 34, but both the said ducts will be closed and steam shut off from both sections of the cylinder, or by turning the valve so as to cover the steam-inlet 34 the steam will be shut off from both the steamchest and cylinder-sections. While the combined reversing and throttle valve shown and described is preferred, it will be evident that other suitable forms of valves may be employed.

When steam is admitted to the cylinder, it fills the buckets in the manner described and presses upward beneath the flanges 22, 24, and 25 of the packing-segments and forces said segments outward into contact with the interior of the cylinder and holds them in close contact therewith. The piston is thus packed steam-tight in the cylinder without the necessity of employing any other packing, and each bucket holds its steam without any liability of escape. As shown,'the opposite ends of the packing-segments are beveled, as at 43, and the forward end of each segment over- IOO IIO

laps the rear end of the next segment'in advance, thus forming a steam-tight joint between the segments.

Ihave described my improved engine as being more particularly designed to be operated by steam; but it will be manifest that compressed air, water, or othersimilar fluid-power may be employed for the purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inlet and exhaust port, of a rotary piston arranged in the cylinder and having a plurality of buckets formed in its periphery, of packing-segments, one for each bucket, loosely fitted in said buckets and having inwardly-projecting peripheral flanges arranged to be thrown outward and heldin operative contact with the inner cir` cumference of the cylinder by the pressure of the motive fluid, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inlet and exhaust port, of a rotary piston arranged in the cylinder and having a plurality of buckets formed in its periphery and circumferential grooves formed at each side of the buckets, of packing-segments, one foreach bucket, each having two parallel radial side flanges loosely f1tlted in said circumferential grooves and provided with peripheral inwardly-projecting flanges, said side and peripheral flanges being united at their opposite end portions, the arrangement being such that the packingsegments are thrown outward and heldin operative contact with the inner circumference of the cylinder by thepressure of the motive two parallel radial side flanges loosely fitted in said circumferential grooves and united at their opposite end portions by transverse, radial flanges, the said side and transverse flanges being provided at their outer edges with inwardly-projecting lateral flanges, the arrangement being such that the pack-ingsegments are thrown outward and held in operative contactwith the inner circumference of the cylinder by the pressure of the motive fluid, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inlet and exhaust port, of a rotary piston arranged in the cylinder and having a plurality of buckets formed in its periphery, each bucket having an inclined bottom approaching the inner Wall of the cylinder at its rear end and having a transverse groove formed therein, and terminating at its forward end in an abrupt abutment, of packing-segments, one for each bucket, each having two parallel, radial, side flanges loosely fitted in circumferential grooves in the opposite sides of the bucket and united at their opposite end portions by transverse radial flanges the rearmostof which is loosely fitted in the said transverse groove in the bottom of the bucket, the said side and transverse flanges being provided at their outer edges with inwardly-projecting lateral flanges, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inlet and exhaustport, of a rotary piston arranged in the cylinder and having a plurality of buckets formed in its periphery, each bucket having an inclined bottom approaching the inner wall of the cylinder at :its rear end and having a transverse groove formed therein, and terminating at its forward end in an abruptabutment, of packing-segments, one for each bucket, each having two parallel radial side flanges wider at their forward than at their rear ends and loosely tted in circumferential grooves in the opposite sides of the bucket, said side flanges being united at their opposite end portions by transverse radial flanges the rearward of which is loosely fitted in the said transverse groove in the bottom of the bucket,

the side and transverse flanges being provided at` their outer edges with inwardly-projectinglateral flanges, and the opposite ends of said packing-segments being beveled and overlapping each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

`WILLIAM R. MASON.

Witnesses:

S. M. CARLTON, D. E. MORRIS. 

